George millen



Gr. MILLEN.

(No Model.)

WHEEL.

No. 605,112. Patented June?, 1898.

. f /l/L u v W Y n l 1 m U GEORGE MILLEN,

i UNITED STATES OE sAN ANTONIO PATENT EEicE..

SPECIFICATION formingpart'of- Letters Patent No.f6 05,111v2, dated June f7, 1898.

' lrtpnaioiea my s, 1897. fserigino. 65.35403.l (N5 4'maen i Be it known that I, GEORGE MILLEN, a citi# zen of the United States, residing at San An' tonio, in the countyV of Bexar and State of Texas, have inventedanew and usefulWheel, of which the following is a speciiication.

This invention relates to wheels, particu.

larly to the manner of connecting the ends of the fellies and the spokes, and Ais especially designed for use on wheels in which the spokes are so connected to the hub that they can be' forced radially outward to tighten the rim against thetire in order to avoid the neces- The Object of the invention is to provide a clip adapted to be iirmly secured to the outer end of the spoke and to'support the opposing ends of adjacent fellies in* such manner that the said ends may be'free to spread apart without in any manner weakening the joint.

With this and other objects in view the invention consists of the several details of construction and combination of parts hereinafter fully described, and particularly pointed out in the claims. Y v i' l l In the drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of a portion of a wheel embodying my invention. Fig.r2 is a planview, the tire being removed, showing the clip and the 'end of adjacent fellies being supported therein.` .Figl 3 is a vertical transverse section on the line m of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is avertical longitudinal section on the line y y of Fig. 2, the tire being also shown in this figure'. Fig-f5 is "a perspective view of the clip detached. Figi 6 is a perspective view v of an end of the felly-sectiom Similar reference-nu morals indicate similar parts in the several figures.

The spokes are indicated by 1, andthe fellies by 2. i

3 indicates the tire7 and4 the clip. v 'Ehe clip is'provided with a socket 5 to receive the re duced end 6 ofthe spoke. Around this socket on the outer face of the clip a flange or shoulder is vformed corresponding in outlinewith 5o the outline of the bodyof the spoke, -and this shouldercis'adapted to engage the outer surface ofthespoke to form an additional bearing for.tl1e` latter.

.8 indicates horizontallydisposed flanges which extend from opposite sides of the socket and are concavo-convex in cross-section in order to correspond with the shape of the under face of the fellies, and these flanges are to receive and support the opposing ends of 6o adjacent fellies. Each iiange is provided with an elongated opening 9, the purpose of which will be referred to hereinafter.

. -1O .indicates vertically-extending ears on opposite sides of the socket, and these ears are adapted to engage the opposite sides of the Sends of the adjacentfellies, which arev supportedion the flanges 8;

11 Aindicates a vertical plate extending diametrically across the socket 5, midway be- 7o tween the ears 10 and parallel therewith. This plate extends down within the socket and is provided at its lower end with a knifeedge, thereby forming a wedge 12, which will v enter the end of the spokewhen the latter is driven into the socket and expand the said en d to hold the spoke securely in the socket. The ears 10 and plate 11 'are provided with transverse alinin'g openings (indicated by 13) fori the. reception of aj'b'olt' 14,'lwhichbolt 8o serves to* strengthen the clip". and to hold the ears V10 'irmly to the sides off the fellies.' i

The ends of the Yfellies are each provided withV a vertical slot 15, extending longitudinallylof the :fellyand ofnsuch lengththat when 8 5 the vendsof two adjacent fellies abut within the clip the inner end of the slot will be in vertical alinement with the outer end of the elongated opening 9 in the ange 8 which is directly below it. The plate 11 will seat in 9o the said slots l5, and the end of each folly is provided with a semicircular groove 16 to receive half of the bolt 14 in ordertopermit the opposing ends of adjacent fellies to abut against eachother. yTheendsof=the"fel1ies 95 are also eachl provided with a semicir'cular recess 17 on its under side to receive halt the socket 5, which projects above the surface of the llanges.

1S indicates bolts to secure the tire 3 to the rim of the wheel, and these bolts passvthrough the slots l5 in the ends of the fellies and the elongated openings 9 in the anges.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that when the spokes are forced outwardly the tellies will be enabled to spread apart at their opposing ends, inasmuch as the bolts 1S, which secure the tire in position, will offer no obstruction to such movement on account of their passing through the slots l5. rlhis spreading apart of the ends of the fellies will never be sullieient to cause the opposing ends of the fellies to pass beyond the vertical edges of the ears l0, and the latter will therefore always hide or cover up the open space which may be between the opposing ends ot the tellies, and the ends will be as lirmly and securely supported whether they abut or whether they are separated some distance apart. As the spoke is immediately under the ends of the lellies they will not sink, and the wheel will consequently always maintain a true shape. rlhe elongated Opeliings El in the clip will prevent any strain on the bolts .lS should there be unequal expansion or contraction in the tire and the clip. It will also serve to prevent any strain on the bolt when the spokes are forced outwardly in order to set the rim up against the tire.

.Preferably the several parts ot the clip will form one integral casting; but it is obvious that the parts maybe separately formed and afterward lirmly united together in any snitable manner.

In Letters Patent No. 578,255, granted to me March il, M397, I have illustrated and described a mechanism for forcing the spokes outwardly from the hub in order to expand the rim ol' the wheel and tighten it against the t-ire, and while my present invention is especially intended for use on wheels of that character I do not intend to limit its application to such wheels, since the clip will form a very desirable means of connecting the spokes and the fellies in any vehicle-wheel.

It will be understood that changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details of construction may be resorted te without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

Ilaving thus described the invention, what I claim isl. In a wheel, the combination with the spokes, the tire, and the fellies provided with longitudinal vertical slots opening out at their ends and with recesses in the lower portions of their ends, of a clip having horizontallydisposed llanges to receive and support the ends of adjacent fellies, said llanges having openings to register with the slots in the fellies, a spoke-receiving socket extending above the flanges to seatin the said recesses in the ends of adjacent fellies, and a vertically-disposed plate extending across the socket to lit in the said slots in the fellies, andbolts passing through the tire, the slots in the fellies and the openings inthe flanges, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. In a wheel, the combination with the spokes, the tire, and the fellies provided with longitudinal vertical slots opening ontat their ends and with recesses in the lower portions of their ends, of a clip having horizontallydisposed llanges to receive and support the ends olf adjacent tellies, said llanges having openings to register with the slots in the fellies, vertical ears extending up from the flanges to engage opposite sides of the adjacent ends ot the lellies, a spoke-receiving socket extending above the llanges to seat in the said recesses in the ends of adjacent fellies, and a vertieally-disposed plate extending across the socket midway between the said ears to ht in the. said slots in the fellies, bolts passing through the tire, the slots in the fellies, and the openings in the ilanges, and a horizontal bolt passing through the said ears, the vertical plate, and the abutting ends of the fellies, substantially as and for the purpose speci lied.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own Illave hereto al'lixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE ilTlLLlCN.

\Vitnesses:

J. XV. Moons, ll. (l. Slnunn. 

